Endless light gathered in, finally taking the form of a humanoid being—a sixteen-year-old human youth.
"Finally, I've recovered..."
Jiang Ding muttered to himself.
He scanned his current state with spiritual sense. His physical body had revived once more, and an unending stream of mana was born from his dantian, circulating throughout his body and granting him immense strength. No longer was he as rootless and unsupported as a mere sword soul. His strength had returned to its former peak and easily surpassed it.
"Can I kill a Celestial now, at their full strength?"
Jiang Ding silently asked.
He should be able to kill an early-stage Celestial cultivator. A mid-stage one was also possible.
But that had no meaning.
A sword cultivator killing a powerful enemy could allow him to break through, but that was never inevitable. The most important thing was still the cultivator's own accumulation. Challenging a powerful enemy mainly solved the crucial final leap at the threshold—the one percent flash of inspiration.
Though that one percent of inspiration was incomparably precious and determined the vast majority of things in the world.
Without the other ninety-nine percent of sweat, however, it would not do either. One could not build a lofty pavilion out of thin air.
Among countless life-and-death sword battles, some victors achieved breakthroughs, while some victors gained nothing. That was the reason.
A bloody battle merely increased one possibility.
But if one had never possessed such a foundation to begin with, or if that foundation was too weak, then one would remain mediocre all the same.
Jiang Ding placed all his attention upon his Great Sun Immortal Mortal Sword Soul.
This was the greatest harvest, and also the concentrated manifestation of his Fourth Step Rule Adjustment Nirvana breakthrough.
"Law Annihilation is this sovereign's instinct..."
Jiang Ding murmured.